The 2U20 Penzance (10.50) to Cardiff Central (16.23) service passes Hallenbeagle Engine House (11.19) on Tuesday 11th January 2023. Copyright Mick House.
A smashing snowy scene - Many Thanks to you Mick. Wishing you and everybody all the very best for the festive season.
Class 47 47487 in 1967
Heading towards Winterbourne amongst the Pylons
Phil Shattered
Heading towards Winterbourne amongst the Pylons
Phil Shattered
47487-1987-Heading towards Winterbourne. Copyright Phil Shattered
Many Thanks Phill
NINETEEN SIXTY TWO
PART 60
Michael L. Roach
PART 60
Michael L. Roach
Centenary of the Castles (2)
In July 2023 I was reading a magazine from August 1906 with a contemporary short news item and photo of a new four cylinder express passenger engine built to the design of Gorge Jackson Churchward (1857-1933) who had then been Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Western Railway for some four years. The engine had been given the number 40 and quite surprisingly the engine was of the 4-4-2 wheel arrangement because, although the GWR had many 4-4-0s, it had very few 4-4-2s. Because the article was contemporary with the first appearance of the engine the writer could not have known that the loco would be converted to a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement just 3 years later in 1909 and renumbered 4000. The reason for building no. 40 as a 4-4-2 was to compare it with the three De Glehn 4-4-2 Compounds purchased from France. Number 40 was the first 4-cylinder engine built by the GWR but it was not the first 4-6-0 after rebuilding as that honour fell to no. 100 which appeared in February 1902 just a couple of months before the retirement of Willam Dean (1840-1905), when Churchward was Dean's Chief Assistant. No. 100 was an express passenger design with 2 outside cylinders, the first GWR design with outside cylinders, and therefore the forerunner of the Saints, Halls, Granges and Manor classes. No. 4000 was the forerunner of the Stars and was converted to a Star in 1909 and given the name of “North Star”. The 4-cylinder 4-6-0s of the Star class were the forerunners of the Castle class and the King class. No. 4000 was converted to a Castle in 1929 and lasted until 1957.
The first part of this commemoration of the Castle class appeared on 27 February 2023. In this Part we will look briefly at what one very well-known enthusiast and professional railwayman thought of the Castle Class. Kenneth H Leech (1892 – 1994) worked for Westinghouse at their signal works at Chippenham, Wiltshire and was so well-known that he could obtain a footplate ride along the Great Western main line between Paddington and Bristol any time he wanted to. All that bouncing around on the footplate of a steam engine did not do him any harm as he lived to the great age of 102 years. He was also a very active photographer and time recorder.
In September 1963 The Journal of the Stephenson Locomotive Society carried a Supplement to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the introduction of the Castle class. The SLS turned to Kenneth Leech to write the article that accompanied the photographs and the result was a delightful little booklet. There is no doubt that Kenneth Leech knew his subject after making dozens if not hundreds of footplate trips. The first two paragraphs of the booklet are reproduced here as a tribute to Kenneth Leech and the Castle Class. This is what he wrote for the Supplement.
“The Castle Class of the Great Western Railway is one of the most celebrated classes of locomotives in the world. The fine reputation of these engines has been gained by their performance, not only in sustained high-speed running, but in the hauling of heavy trains at express speed and in exceptional economy in coal consumption. Never has any other class of express locomotive been built, with only the smallest change in details, over such a long period as 28 years and never has any other class of locomotives remained as the standard express type for anything like as long as 38 years. Yet with all their proud history, the class were originally a compromise design, carrying a smaller boiler than had been intended – a boiler which in service always limited the maximum continuous power output of the engines below the maximum which the cylinders could produce.” Fascinating stuff !
MLR / 18 October 2023
In July 2023 I was reading a magazine from August 1906 with a contemporary short news item and photo of a new four cylinder express passenger engine built to the design of Gorge Jackson Churchward (1857-1933) who had then been Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Western Railway for some four years. The engine had been given the number 40 and quite surprisingly the engine was of the 4-4-2 wheel arrangement because, although the GWR had many 4-4-0s, it had very few 4-4-2s. Because the article was contemporary with the first appearance of the engine the writer could not have known that the loco would be converted to a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement just 3 years later in 1909 and renumbered 4000. The reason for building no. 40 as a 4-4-2 was to compare it with the three De Glehn 4-4-2 Compounds purchased from France. Number 40 was the first 4-cylinder engine built by the GWR but it was not the first 4-6-0 after rebuilding as that honour fell to no. 100 which appeared in February 1902 just a couple of months before the retirement of Willam Dean (1840-1905), when Churchward was Dean's Chief Assistant. No. 100 was an express passenger design with 2 outside cylinders, the first GWR design with outside cylinders, and therefore the forerunner of the Saints, Halls, Granges and Manor classes. No. 4000 was the forerunner of the Stars and was converted to a Star in 1909 and given the name of “North Star”. The 4-cylinder 4-6-0s of the Star class were the forerunners of the Castle class and the King class. No. 4000 was converted to a Castle in 1929 and lasted until 1957.
The first part of this commemoration of the Castle class appeared on 27 February 2023. In this Part we will look briefly at what one very well-known enthusiast and professional railwayman thought of the Castle Class. Kenneth H Leech (1892 – 1994) worked for Westinghouse at their signal works at Chippenham, Wiltshire and was so well-known that he could obtain a footplate ride along the Great Western main line between Paddington and Bristol any time he wanted to. All that bouncing around on the footplate of a steam engine did not do him any harm as he lived to the great age of 102 years. He was also a very active photographer and time recorder.
In September 1963 The Journal of the Stephenson Locomotive Society carried a Supplement to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the introduction of the Castle class. The SLS turned to Kenneth Leech to write the article that accompanied the photographs and the result was a delightful little booklet. There is no doubt that Kenneth Leech knew his subject after making dozens if not hundreds of footplate trips. The first two paragraphs of the booklet are reproduced here as a tribute to Kenneth Leech and the Castle Class. This is what he wrote for the Supplement.
“The Castle Class of the Great Western Railway is one of the most celebrated classes of locomotives in the world. The fine reputation of these engines has been gained by their performance, not only in sustained high-speed running, but in the hauling of heavy trains at express speed and in exceptional economy in coal consumption. Never has any other class of express locomotive been built, with only the smallest change in details, over such a long period as 28 years and never has any other class of locomotives remained as the standard express type for anything like as long as 38 years. Yet with all their proud history, the class were originally a compromise design, carrying a smaller boiler than had been intended – a boiler which in service always limited the maximum continuous power output of the engines below the maximum which the cylinders could produce.” Fascinating stuff !
MLR / 18 October 2023
7094 6938 and 5098 Clifford Castle double-head the 9.10am Liverpool to Plymouth past Venton Farm at the eastern end of Hemerdon Sidings on 19 May 1962. 5098 would move to Carmarthen July 1962. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7136 5093 Upton Castle has just passed Tigley Box on 26 May 1962 with 9C on the Liverpool to Plymouth train. I am standing on a bridge three miles from Totnes Station and heard 5093 making a laboured climb of Rattery Bank the whole way taking ten minutes for the three miles from Totnes Station. The gradient eased slightly at Tigley Box and when I was on the same train three weeks earlier 5055 covered the last quarter mile before the box at 14 mph. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7160 5094 Tretower Castle of Bristol SPM Shed approaches the top of Dainton with 7C on an unidentified train on 16 June 1962. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7242 5036 Lyonshall Castle of Old Oak Common Shed approaches Newton Abbot with 14 coaches on the 12.30 Paddington to Plymouth and Kingsbridge on 21 July 1962. 5036 would have needed assistance up Dainton Bank as the limit for a Castle was 315 tons or nine coaches. Five or six coaches would have come off the train at Brent to go to Kingsbridge. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
7320 5066 Sir Felix Pole is seen in the long shed at Laira on 25 August 1962. The shed was built in 1931-32 using Government Grants and Loans to relieve unemployment.
7334 5001 Llandovery Castle passes Tigley Box assisted by a North British Type 2 in the D63xx series on 25 August 1962 with 14C on the 12.30pm Paddington to Kingsbridge and Plymouth. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many many thanks indeed Michael.
Class 50s at Exeter St David's
Michael Forward
Michael Forward
Hello Roger, Great pictures by the late Rob Barnes ,look forward to seeing more.
Computer now fixed after a problem over the weekend so I can send a picture taken at Exeter,near the old depot.
This shows 50019 ‘Ramillies’ at rest with 50035.
Computer now fixed after a problem over the weekend so I can send a picture taken at Exeter,near the old depot.
This shows 50019 ‘Ramillies’ at rest with 50035.
Hello Roger, Great pictures by the late Rob Barnes ,look forward to seeing more.
Computer now fixed after a problem over the weekend so I can send a picture taken at Exeter,near the old depot.
This shows 50019 ‘Ramillies’ at rest with 50035.
Computer now fixed after a problem over the weekend so I can send a picture taken at Exeter,near the old depot.
This shows 50019 ‘Ramillies’ at rest with 50035.
Many thanks Michael
Bodmin Festivities
Craig Munday
Craig Munday
Hi Keith
Well, there we go, the end of another year on Cornwall Railways. What a change we will see in 2024 with Largin to Penwithers re-controlled from Exeter.
Boxes as familiar to me as a relative's kitchen will fall silent as the signals are stripped of their boards and relevance. New searchlight colourlights will loom across Par, Truro and Lostwithiel.
I popped into Bodmin on Sunday to see the last run of the Santa Steam Specials get disposed of after the excited children had alighted. 47306 was lit up (with permission) before heading off to stable itself.
To all members, readers and contributors of the CRS, have a Merry Christmas, and prosperous 2024.
Craig Munday
Well, there we go, the end of another year on Cornwall Railways. What a change we will see in 2024 with Largin to Penwithers re-controlled from Exeter.
Boxes as familiar to me as a relative's kitchen will fall silent as the signals are stripped of their boards and relevance. New searchlight colourlights will loom across Par, Truro and Lostwithiel.
I popped into Bodmin on Sunday to see the last run of the Santa Steam Specials get disposed of after the excited children had alighted. 47306 was lit up (with permission) before heading off to stable itself.
To all members, readers and contributors of the CRS, have a Merry Christmas, and prosperous 2024.
Craig Munday
Copyright Craig Munday.
Copyright Craig Munday.
Best wishes to you and your Craig and very many thanks for your support over the past years - far and wide.
Truro Re-signalling
Dennis Clarke
Dennis Clarke
Hi Keith and Roger, I was in Truro today and took a few pictures of the resignalling that is in process. The new colour light signals are in place to sadly replace the semaphores. Kind Regards, Dennis
Copyright Dnnis Clarke
Copyright Dennis Clarke
Copyright Dennis Clarke
Copyright Dennis Clarke
Many Thanks Dennis
GNER in the West
Jon Hird
Jon Hird
The summer of 2004 brought some difficulties for Virgin Cross Country. The year prior, they had celebrated the 'cross country HST farewell' with promises of modernising all their services with new Voyager trains. Unfortunately, they didn't have enough of these, and with many of their own HST's now off-lease, hire-ins were their only option. During that year we had HST sets visting the county in all manners of colours, Midland Mainline, debranded Virgin and GNER. Here are a few photos of the GNER sets during their travels to the South West.
29.05.2004 saw GNER 43006 leading a train to Newquay, passing Middleway in the morning. Copyright Jon Hird.
29.05.2004 - the rear power car still with its original Valenta engine pushing the set towards Newquay. Copyright Jon Hird.
03.07.2004 saw 43008 waiting to head a service North at Plymouth North Road. Copyright Jon Hird.
03.07.2004, the rear power car shoving the set North. Copyright Jon Hird.
14.08.2004 saw 43006 again, starting a north-bound service at Bodmin Parkway. A view now lost to the trackside vegetation. Copyright Jon Hird.
The morning of 21.08.2004 saw an unidentified power car pausing at Bodmin Parkway with a set heading West - Newquay or Penzance? Copyright Jon Hird.
I assume this is the same set as above, heading back North on 21.08.2004. Copyright Jon Hird.